


Take Heart

by k_rose_m (Flipkat)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Angst, Gen, Sadstuck, Speculation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-11
Updated: 2012-11-11
Packaged: 2017-11-18 09:54:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/559694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flipkat/pseuds/k_rose_m
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which a title is taken too literally.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>From a prompt here, for speculation on what non-revealed powers could do: http://homesmut.livejournal.com/11895.html?thread=21532791#t21532791<br/>My first Homestuck fic! Wasn't posted until I found a prompt for it, though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take Heart

The longer they spent in the Veil, the more Eridan had taken to slipping away without notice, preferring the company of his own thoughts to the barely-controlled chaos of the common room. It was not especially unexpected, then, that an incredibly pissed-looking Karkat had to track him down and tell him to _do his fucking job_. 

“So wwhat’s this about, then?”

He gestured irritably to Tavros, standing bleakly behind him. “You know what I mean. Do the hope thing.”

Eridan snorted disdainfully, but before he could open his mouth to scoff, Karkat lunged forward, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him several feet away to hiss softly in his ear, _“Gogdammit, he’s the only thing keeping Gamzee sane.”_

“Wwell.” That _did_ change things; it was unlikely they’d have the combined strength to stop him if he finally snapped.

Finally Eridan sighed, nodded to Karkat, and stepped towards Tavros, steeling himself. He turned his face towards the ceiling and shut his eyes, gathering together tattered thoughts as best he could. He took a few more deep, sighing breaths, opened his eyes, turned his gaze down to Tavros – 

And _smiled_. Taking the other troll’s hand between both of his, he locked eyes with him and said, with conviction, “It’ll be all right! Evverythin’s goin to be just _fine_.”

He held the smile, and the other boy’s eyes, and his hand, until he saw an answering smile bloom on the opposite face, and felt his hand return the squeeze. After another moment, Tavros stepped away, and with a mumbled “thanks,” returned to his own duties: pacifying and soothing an increasingly feral group of savage adolescents.

Karkat had absconded as well, evidently satisfied with the transaction. Eridan, alone again, turned his face upwards once more, and brought up shaky arms to hug himself, finally sinking his chin to his chest and trembling. It was _hard_ to give away his hope, when he had so little left. It was hard, and nobody understood.


End file.
